Main Features

If a player plays a reduced number of exclusively premium hands then he’s considered tight. However, a loose player will wager on a wide variety of hands. It comes down to the type of hands players use.

If you study how poker players play hands you can identify the passive or aggressive player. A passive player is afraid of losing and will play very cautiously. The aggressive type will go all-in, regardless of the hand he’s holding.

Poker Playing Styles

The Fish or Callingstation are terms used to describe a player who mostly calls bets than raises. He relies on luck to get a good hand and plays the role of the expert at the table. He’s mostly a threat for beginners who tend to get drawn into the Fish’s bluffing technique.

The Nit or Rock is a player who won’t take on much risk and only plays premium hands. He’ll be patient and stand back until he’s holding top-tier hands including Aces or Kings. If a Nit raises, then he’s holding a great hand.

A player who refuses to self-improve and increase his know-how about the game is either a Noob or a Newbie. The difference is that a Newbie is a player who’s unwilling to learn new skills but is incredibly intelligent and a Noob is very smart and passionate but naïve.

The Maniac is a danger for any poker game. He’ll raise or re-raise very often and disrupt the smooth flow of the game, regardless of the hand he’s holding.

A player who’s strictly following the poker guidelines manual is called Mr. ABC Poker. This player knows the ins and outs of poker by heart, he’s learned all the strategies and tricks. However, Mr. ABC can be thrown off his game through aggression. He’s vulnerable to other players who’re bluffing and can’t hold up against stress.

If you’re playing against a player who’s very communicative and speaks openly about what he’s doing next, you’re dealing with a Coffee Houser. He’s usually bluffing his way to a win. If he’s holding a very strong hand, he’ll most likely suggest the opposite. In the UK, a Coffee Houser is seen as an unethical player and usually get banned from poker tables.

The top rank of player is the Shark. He owns his skills, he’s highly adaptive and can hold a strong poker face. He puts up a wall you simply can’t get passed to understand what his hand really is. Just like a broker on Wallstreet, Sharks are very diligent and highly talented at squeezing every cent out of any hand. Because you can’t read what they’re holding, whether you play poker online or in a land-based casino, they’re the most dangerous player you can face at a poker table.

What’s the Best Style you Should Take On?

You can’t go wrong with a tight & aggressive style. However, you should adapt to the other players at the table but also to your own personality. A tight & aggressive approach is suitable for a large range of players and turns out to be highly profitable even for beginners. If you’re just starting out in the poker world, you’ll want to cover up your lack of experience and show a strong and determined attitude.

It’s up to you to make the right call but consider your own personality traits, the table conditions and what type of players you’re facing. Sometimes playing loose is a good poker strategy when the table is full of tight players. Other times a passive approach will get you out of being cornered.

It all depends on your ability to filter out the noise and identify the types of players you’re playing against.